Woodstown High School Drama Club preparing spring musical

WOODSTOWN — The Woodstown High School Drama Club is busy preparing its annual musical.

This year's show is “Meet Me in St. Louis,” the lighthearted and sentimental story of the Smith family (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, five children, Grandpa, and their Irish cook, Katie), as they anticipate the wonders of the 1904 World's Fair.

Conflict comes to the family when Mr. Smith is offered a promotion at work, but it will require the family to move to New York City. Everyone in the family is upset by this news and has compelling reasons for not wanting to leave St. Louis.

Show dates are Friday, Feb. 28; Saturday, March 1; Thursday, March 6; and Friday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m.

There is a final matinee on Saturday, March 8, at 3 p.m., as well as a special Generations Reach Out performance free to senior citizens on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door on the evenings of the performances, which will all take place in the Woodstown High School auditorium.

The work originated as a collection of short stories, later turned into a novel by Sally Benson.

In 1946, MGM created the motion picture, Meet Me in St. Louis, which features Judy Garland. The stage adaptation is based on both the MGM film and the original work by Benson.

The show is directed by Paul Kranz, who is directing his 25th musical at Woodstown High School this year. Shannon Sheridan is the music director.

Julie Powers is the producer, Claudia Kranz is the choreographer, Kahlil Gunther is the orchestra director, David Dorrell is the set designer, and Carol Mosher and Susan Leotta are assisting with costumes.

Mike Powers and Steve Hastings are assisting with set building and designing, as well. A team of student directors/producers is helping out, as well.

The cast and crew add up to approximately 100 students this year, and the drama club can't wait to…“meet you at the fair” in late February and early March.